Bridle and bit



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Oct. 22, 1957 J. L. SMITH 7 2,810,250

BRIDLE AND BIT Filed July 27, 1955 Fig. 4

i 72 ill 70 26 Jack L. Smith INVENTOR.

BY WM 13m United States Patent BRIDLE AND BIT Jack L. Smith, Sacramento, Calif. Application July 27, 1955, Serial No. 524,643

4 Claims. c1. 54-7 7 The present invention relates-primarily to a bit of novel and improved construction and, in addition, appertains to the bit in combination with the bridle by reason of the fact that the bridle constitutes the means for satisfactorily harnessing and restraining the bit in the position required for effectual control and operation.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the inven tion, a more or less conventional bridle is utilized, and while the same embodies the usualhead and neck straps, those of significance insofar as the principle of operation of the invention is concerned are the usual check or head stall straps connected together adjacent their lower ends by the usual chin strap, also alternatively called a curb strap. A feature of this invention is one of the parts or units of the over-all rein-controlled bit. In its preferred construction, it is characterized by what is later described as a yoke, and the latter includes a bit bar or mouthpiece which passes through the horses mouth in the usual way, the same having rigid depending parallel arms for oscillating or rocking the bit back and forth. The end portions of the bit are journaled in bearing holes provided therefor in cheek pieces or plates, and the latter have upstanding loop members to which the lower ends of the stall straps are connected and to which the adjacent or cooperating ends of the chin strap are also connected.

More specifically, novelty is predicated upon simple spacers or split rings which are fastened to the respective cheek plates and which provide stop shouldersto limit the forward and rearward swinging movements of'the arms of the yoke which cooperate with said shoulders.

Then, too, novelty is predicated upon cushioning and return springs which are appropriately provided and arranged and which normally maintain the arms of the yoke in what may be called a normal depending position and yet allow the yoke as a unit to be rocked or oscillated so that a suitably constructed port or an equivalent memher on the intermediate portion of'the'bit bar comes into play by changing andregulating the leverage by way of the check reins in a now generally well known manner.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing the complete bridle and improved bit and the manner in which they are constructed and combined for use;

Figure 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the improved regulable bit detached from the bridle and showing the essential details of construction;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in section and elevation on the vertical line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view taken through the upper left hand portion of the structure seen in Figure 3 or,

2,810,250 Patented Oct. 22, 1957 0 straps at 12. Cooperable with the lower buckle-equipped ends 14 is the curb strap 16, also often referred to as the chin strap. The bridle as an entity is denoted by the numeral 18. The check reins are denoted by the numerals 20.

The novelly constructed bit means is characterized by a forwardly and rearwardly rockable part which is here treated as a yoke 22. It comprises a pair of suitably constructed rigid lightweight metal or equivalent arms 24 suitably fixed to the end portions of a connecting rod 26. The rod is here constructed to provide a mouthpiece or bit proper. Although it is not absolutely essential, there is an arcuate rod member 28 which is here referred to as a tie rod, and this has appropriately bent ends 30 passing through holes 32 provided therefor with the terminal ends screw threaded, as at 34 in Figure 2, to accommodate assembling and retaining nuts 36. This tie rod functions as a reinforcing brace to some extent, but is utilized to accommodate U-shape clips or the like 38 (see Figure 1) which in turn are provided with swivelled eyes 40 to accommodate the connecting hooks 42 on the cooperating ends of the reins 20. These members 38 are also sometimes referred to as swivel-equipped clips. Of paramount importance and significance in the over-all bit construction are the cheek pieces or plates. These are generally fiat and ring-like in form, and they are denoted by the numerals 44. The upper marginal edge portions are provided with suitably bent loop members 46 which serve to accommodate the buckle-equipped ends of the stall straps 12 and also the end portions 17 of the chin strap 16. Each cheek plate is also provided with an opening 48 which provides a bearing hole and in which the co operating end portion of the rockable or oscillatory bit bar 26 is mounted, as perhaps best shown in Figure 3. By utilizing a horseshoe-shaped or equivalent spacer 50 and superimposing it against one side of the cheek plate and welding it or otherwise securing it in place and then applying a removable cover plate 52 thereto and securing it with screws 54, a simple casing is provided, and it is in this casing that the specially constructed upper end portion of each yoke arm 24 is mounted. This is perhaps best brought out in Figure 5, wherein it will be seen that with the construction illustrated, the end portions of the spacer provide circumferen'tially spaced motion stop or limit shoulders 56 and 58. This allows the arm to swing back andforth to the extent existing between the shoulders 56 and 58. The upper end of each arm has a sort of a head 60 which is fashioned to fit within the inner marginal or peripheral limits of the spacer 50, and this head is notched to provide circumferentially spaced shoulders 62 and 64. Arranged in the notch and confined in the casing is a coil spring 66 with one end bearing against the shoulder 62 and the other end anchored, if

desired, on a pin 68 which cooperates with a shoulder 64.

The arrows A and B show the relative swinging movement of the arms, which movement is allowed by the cushioning spring 66 and wherein the expansive action of the spring serves to normally or automatically return the yoke to its generally perpendicular position.

To persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, a survey of the specification and drawings will reveal that the spring action makes the bit of a type which has been for many years referred to as a loose jaw type, but operates in what is believed to be a manner superior to similarly constructed and performing prior art adaptations.

The central portion of the bit bar is provided with passages including sockets 70, as brought out in Figure 4 of the drawings, to accommodate the insertable and removable end portions of the limbs 72 of an attachable and detachable port 74. The bight portion of this is denoted at 76 and is offset and curved in the approximate manner illustrated in the drawings. designates an appropriate freely rotatable cricket. In connection with this construction, it will be therefore understood that the interchangeable port has removable screws 8080 to make it possible to change ports from time to time. There are several known types of these, such as low port, high port and full spade or spoon spade attachments. Any of the above may be supplied with or without a cricket, roller or the like. Manifestly, the cricket is no part of the claims here.

The curvature of the port is directly applicable to the application of the spring action insofar as it brings the port into contact withthe horses mouth in what is believed to be a highly humane, satisfactory and reliable manner.

This bridle-bit may be converted from the type known as loose jaw to a type known as stiff jaw by a simple operation. All that is necessary is to remove the springs 66 and to insert a metal plug or stopper. This will then occupy and fill the notch and will lock the head 60 against oscillation, keeping in mind that the pin 68 is a fixed part of the relatively stationary cheek piece 44.

The bridle and bit combination hereindisclosed and claimed has been successfully used on young horses and horses whose mouths have been spoiled by poor handling and the use of improperly constructed bit adaptations. It has been found to be an extremely humane construction and will do anything that other bits will do, and in addition, will accomplish more efficacious results.

Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in "the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bridle bit of the class described comprising a pair of substantially flat cheek pieces having integral marginal means for attachment to straps in a complemental bridle construction, each cheek piece having a bearing hole, a substantially horseshoe-shaped spacer superimposed against said cheek piece and having its outer peripheral surface cooperating with the marginal surface of the cheek piece and the spaced terminal ends of said space providing a pair of circumferentially spaced shoulders, a yoke embodying a bit bar with its end portions mounted for oscillation in the respective bearings in the respective cheek pieces and having depending spaced parallel fixed The numeral 78 arms, the upper ends of said arms having notched heads confined operable within the inner peripheral limits of the respective spacers, and cover plates mounted atop the respective spacers and cooperating therewith in defining casings for the headed upper ends of said yoke arms.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and a coil spring arranged in each of the respective notches with one end bearing against an end portion of the notch and the other end cooperating with a pin, the latter fixed to the cooperating cheek piece.

3. In combination, a bridle embodying headstall straps, a pair of spaced opposed parallel plate-like cheek pieces each having a single upstanding loop with which the lower ends of the cooperating stall strap is connected, a complemental chin strap having its respective ends connected to the intended respective loops, the plate-like portions of said cheek pieces having bearing holes therein, a curb bit interposed between said check pieces and having its end portions suspended and journaled for rotation in the bearing holes provided therefor and extending through and outwardly beyond said bearing holes, lateral arms affixed to the projecting end portions and arranged in spaced parallelism and defining a forwardly and rearwardly swinging yoke, and check reins fastened to the lower ends of said arms, said cheek pieces being provided with fixed circumferentially spaced stop shoulders, said arms being confined and limited to travel between their respective shoulders, and cushioning and return springs cooperable with arms, stop shoulders and platelike portions.

' 4. A bridle bit comprising a pair of opposed, complemental parallel cheek plates having bearing holes therein and provided marginally with upstanding loop members to accommodate end portions of bridle cheek straps and also end portions of a complemental chin strap, a horizontal disposed bit bar interposed between said cheek pieces and having end portions passing through and beyond the bearing holes with the end portions provided with laterally directed fixedly mounted spaced parallel arms, said bar and arms constituting a forwardly and rearwardly swingable yoke, and said yoke being springbiased and thus journaled for oscillation in the bearing holes in said cheek plates, a readily attachable and detachable port connected to the central portion of said bit bar, and a tie rod having its end portions detachably connected to the lower ends of said yoke arms and constituting brace means and also serving to accommodate readily attachable and detachable swivel-equipped clips. which latter are intended to permit the attachment thereto of fasteners on check reins.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,490 Williams et a1. Sept; 6, 1887 799,602 Johnson Sept. 12, 1905 1,875,195 Megaree Aug. 30, 1932 

